


By Your Side

by puppylove7



Category: Hakuouki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 18:27:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21414667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppylove7/pseuds/puppylove7
Summary: I just wanted to say that I apologize if this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I did try. I decided to go with the third person past/present like you said you wanted even though it isn't something that I'm used to doing. Putting that aside, I do hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Kudos: 3
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ushiwakamaru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ushiwakamaru/gifts).

> I just wanted to say that I apologize if this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I did try. I decided to go with the third person past/present like you said you wanted even though it isn't something that I'm used to doing. Putting that aside, I do hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Coughing could be heard from the inside of the room of his good friend. That had become a daily and nightly thing for the past several weeks to a month now and it hasn’t changed. Saito was starting to grow more and more concerned for his friend and comrade. Letting out a sigh, he enters the room that he had been standing in front of in hopes of persuading his very stubborn friend to get that cough checked out.

“Okita, you should really get that checked out. You have had that cough for almost a month now and it isn’t getting any better. Doctor Mastumoto will be in tomorrow for our physical exams. Promise me that talk to him about it then.”

Okita was not pleased with hearing Saito lecture him yet again about the cough. He was fine. It would get better over time, it just had to. He had no intentions of talking to a doctor about it.

“Saito, I have told you several times already that I’m fine and I don’t need to see a doctor.” Okita said just before another coughing fit struck. This time when he looked down there was blood visible on the cloth that he was holding.

Okita said that he was fine, but he knew deep down that something was really wrong and things probably weren’t going to get any better from that point on, the blood that came up when he coughed told him that much. He just didn’t want to admit that to anybody, most particularly not Saito. Saito was already worried enough about his health and he didn’t want to get checked out only to find out that things were worse than they originally thought and cause Saito to worry even more. That was unacceptable.

That answer wasn’t acceptable to Saito at all. Saito knew very well that Okita was only getting worse, he had seen the blood before, but said nothing. Things weren’t getting any better and something had to be done. But he also knew that the physicals were unavoidable and that Doctor Mastumoto would obviously see what is going on at that time, so whether Okita liked it or not, he was getting that cough checked out.

“Fine.” Was all Saito said before he left the room, sliding the door closed behind him. He really wanted for his friend to get taken care of before things got any worse. Things looked grim as it was and they probably weren’t going to be getting any better. Everybody thought that it was just a cold and that it would go away on its own over time, but that wasn’t the case and things have only gotten worse since the day it started.

The next day had come and everybody was lined up to have their physical done. Of course Saito and the other unit commanders were in great health with the exception of the injured Sanan san and of course Okita. Everybody saw this coming, but nobody knew what was going on. That was until now.

Saito was walking along in the courtyard when he heard two voices. The one he knew for sure was Okita, but he wasn’t entirely sure, but it sounded like Doctor Mastumoto. Usually he wouldn’t be one to listen in on a conversation like this, but he was curious as to what it was that they were talking about. Obviously it was about Okita’s health. Knowing Okita, he wasn’t going to tell anybody about the prognosis, so this was the only way to find out.

“You have been having night sweats, a persistent cough that brings up blood, chills, among other things. My prognosis is Tuberculosis.” 

“Ah, so I have the incurable disease. Somehow I kind of already figured as much.”

Saito couldn’t believe his ears. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? If so then Okita probably didn’t have much longer to live and he isn’t going to be getting any better. If anything he will keep deteriorating until he is nothing more than a corpse. Saito knew that there was nothing he could do to get rid of the disease that plagued his friend, but was there something he could do to potentially make things easier on him? He didn’t know that answer, but he had to try something.

Before Saito had a chance to leave and continue with his walk, Okita called out to him.

“Saito, there is no point in hiding now. I know you are there.”

Saito had shown himself as he was told to do, but the thing was, he wasn’t hiding to begin with. He was really just walking by and happened to hear what was said.

“I wasn’t trying to hide, I was walking by and just happened to hear what was said.”

Okita looked as if he didn’t really believe what he was told by the doctor and he also looked like he could and would kill Saito if he mentioned what he heard to anybody else.

“So you heard that did you? Do you actually believe what he said?”

“I do and you should be taking things more seriously. You health is important.”

Okita let out a sigh at that statement. Saito was right about that and he knew it.

“Fine, but if you tell anybody about this I will kill you.”

Saito could only smirk at that statement.

“As if you could in your current state.”

That was the last thing said on that topic as the two men returned to Okita’s room so that Okita could get some much needed rest.

Quite some time had passed since Okita was diagnosed with the dreaded incurable disease that had taken over his body. It was only a matter of time before it took his life. As much as he was prepared for that, he didn’t want it to happen so soon. There had to be a way to delay the inevitable. That is when it hit him, there were still some unused bottles of the Ochimizu that may very well be the answer to all his problems. If he took that there was a chance that he may be cured of his disease completely, but there was one drawback, he would lose his humanity and become a Rasetsu. Was that a risk he was willing to take?

As Okita stared at the vial of Ochimizu that he currently had in his hand pondering on whether or not he should drink it he heard somebody start sliding the door to his room open. He already knew who it was. There was only one person who comes in this late other than the doctor himself when he was there and that was Saito. He and Saito had become quite close since they had found out about the Tuberculosis that was slowly eating away at Okita.

“What are you doing with that?”

Okita thought that it would be obvious as to what he was doing with it, but maybe not.

“Isn’t it obvious? I was thinking that maybe I should drink it. It could just be the cure we have been hoping for.”

Saito wasn’t fully convinced that it would actually work, but if that is what Okita truly wanted to do and honestly thought that there was a chance it could work, then who was he to stop him? Honestly he had his doubts that it would cure anything at all, but if there was any chance at all that his friend could be saved from drinking it, then why not take the risk. But ultimately, it was Okita’s choice to make.

“Do you honestly think that it will work? If you do then I won’t stop you, but please consider it carefully before drinking that stuff. You know what will happen once you drink it.”

“I know, that is why I’m still deciding what to do with this. Should I or shouldn't I, what do you think?”

Before answering that question, Saito looked Okita square in the eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t know either, but whatever you decide to do, I will support that choice.”

After hearing that, Okita had made his decision and without another thought he downed the contents in the vial in one gulp. 

The effects were instantaneous. Okita knew things would be harsh, but he didn’t think that it would be this bad. The thirst that accompanied the change was excruciating. He took one glance at Saito and almost instantly the urge to drink his blood drove him insane. It took everything in him not to attack his dear friend.

Saito could only sit and watch as his friend was struggling to control the animal like urge to take a chomp out of him so to speak. He didn’t like watching Okita suffer the way he was and there was only one solution that he could think of to end the suffering.

Taking his own sword, he cut his own arm, offering it to Okita.

“Okita, drink.”

Without a second thought, Okita was sucking the blood up like his life depended on it. Within time Okita returned back to his normal self.

“Are you feeling better now?” Saito asked Okita who now had his head in Saito’s lap.

“Yes, for now. Thank you Saito.” Okitas said before he started chuckling, confusing the ever stoic Saito.

“What is so funny?”

“Well, I think it is safe to say that this was a failed attempt at stopping the disease that plagues my body, don’t you think?”

Saito smiled while stroking Okita’s hair.

“We don’t know that for sure. We already knew you would change, but we don’t know if it cured anything. Only time will tell.”

“Yeah, only time will tell.” Okita said aloud but then continued on with a whisper that wasn’t meant for Saito to hear “time that I wish to spend with you by my side.”


End file.
